This invention relates to vital proteins and glycoproteins, to compositions containing these proteins, to methods of preparing the proteins, and to their use in detecting vital infection.
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the etiological agent of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) (Montagnier et al., 1984). To date, two related but distinct viruses HIV-1 and HIV2, have been identified (Barre-Sinoussi et al., 1983; Brun-Vezinet et al., 1987; Clavel et al., 1986a, 1986b; Guyader et al., 1987; Popovic et al., 1984; Ratner et al., 1985; Wain-Hobson et al., 1985). HIV-2 is closely related to simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV-mac), which causes an AIDS-like disease in macagues (Daniel et al., 1985; Fultz et al., 1986; Chakrabarti et al., 1987). Alignments of the nucleotide sequences of HIV-1, HIV2, and SIV reveal a considerable homology between HIV-2 and SIV-mac. These two viruses share about 75% overall nucleotide sequence homology, but both of them are only distantly related to HIV-1 with about 40% overall homology (Guyader et al., 1987; Chakrabarti et al., 1977).
In addition to the genes that encode structural proteins (the virion capsid and envelope glycoproteins) and the enzymes required for provital synthesis and integration common to all retroviruses, HIV-1, HIV2, and SIV encode genes that regulate virus replication as well as genes that encode proteins of yet unknown function. The only notable difference in the genetic organizations of HIV-1, HIV2, and SIV resides in the open reading frame referred to as vpx, which is absent in HIV-1 and vpu in HIV-1 but not in HIV-2 and SIV (Cohen et al., 1988; Guyader et al., 1987). These viruses are both tropic and cytopathic for CD4 positive T lymphocytes (Klatzmann et al., 1984; Clavel et al., 1985a; Dalgleish et al., 1984; Daniel et al., 1985). A great number of studies have indicated that CD4 functions as the cellular receptor of HIV (Weiss, 1988).
The HIV-1 env gene encodes a 160-kilodalton (kDa) glycoprotein that is proteolytically cleaved to yield the extracellular and transmembrane proteins, gp120 and gp41, respectively (Montagnier et al., 1985). Similarly, HIV-2 env gene encodes a precursor glycoprotein which is then processed to the mature extracellular and transmembrane glycoproteins (Rey et al., 1989). However, unlike HIV-1, the processing of HIV-2 envelope precursor gp140 seems to require the formation of a homologous dimer (gp300) during its processing. Interestingly, dimerization of the envelope precursor is also observed in SIV infected cells (Rey et al. 1989). Accordingly, dimer formation seems to be a specific property of HIV-2 and SIV envelope gene expression.
There exists a need in the art for additional information on the structure and in vivo processing of HIV-2 proteins, and especially HIV-2 envelope proteins and glycoproteins. Such information would aid in identifying HIV-2 infection in individuals. In addition, such findings could aid in elucidating the mechanism by which HIV-2 infection and virus proliferation occur and thereby make it possible to devise modes of intervening in vital processes.